Hosted by: Justine Willis Toms

Many of us are still reeling from the recent economic meltdown. In the face of so much uncertainty, it’s difficult to make sense of the multitude of analyses and predictions about what’s to come. What does it all mean in the context of the broader shifts in global culture and consciousness? At last there’s a voice of reason that brings not only sanity but consciousness to a real understanding of how our economy works – and why it often doesn’t – and how we can apply principles of spirituality and conscious living to the choices we must make for our own financial survival. David Korten understands the economy, and he also knows that money is not all it’s cracked up to be – we really can be happy with very little, after all. But he explains how we can use the money we do have, as an instrument for the change we seek, and to strengthen the communities that really are fundamental to our happiness. He tells us, “The happier societies are those in which there is a more equitable distribution of wealth. Not only happiness, but physical and mental health are higher in those societies, including for people at the top. We need to be rebuilding our communities and our economies from the bottom up.”

David Korten holds an M.B.A. and a Ph.D. from Harvard Business School. He is president and founder of the People Centered Development Forum, chair of the board of Yes! magazine, and serves as a board member of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies. He is the author of several books including Agenda for a New Economy: From Phantom Wealth to Real Wealth (Berrett-Loehler 2009). To learn more about the work of David Korten go to www.davidkorten.com.

Topics explored in this dialogue include:

Why concentrating wealth in the hands of a very few people is a threat to democracy

How the recent spiritual awakening may affect our economy

Why most of us pay a price when the stock market goes up

How business and spirituality are connected

What might have happened if two trillion dollars had gone to citizens instead of banks

Toward A More Conscious Economy with David Korten, Ph.D.

Hosted by: Justine Willis Toms

Many of us are still reeling from the recent economic meltdown. In the face of so much uncertainty, it’s difficult to make sense of the multitude of analyses and predictions about what’s to come. What does it all mean in the context of the broader shifts in global culture and consciousness? At last there’s a voice of reason that brings not only sanity but consciousness to a real understanding of how our economy works – and why it often doesn’t – and how we can apply principles of spirituality and conscious living to the choices we must make for our own financial survival. David Korten understands the economy, and he also knows that money is not all it’s cracked up to be – we really can be happy with very little, after all. But he explains how we can use the money we do have, as an instrument for the change we seek, and to strengthen the communities that really are fundamental to our happiness. He tells us, “The happier societies are those in which there is a more equitable distribution of wealth. Not only happiness, but physical and mental health are higher in those societies, including for people at the top. We need to be rebuilding our communities and our economies from the bottom up.”

David Korten holds an M.B.A. and a Ph.D. from Harvard Business School. He is president and founder of the People Centered Development Forum, chair of the board of Yes! magazine, and serves as a board member of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies. He is the author of several books including Agenda for a New Economy: From Phantom Wealth to Real Wealth (Berrett-Loehler 2009). To learn more about the work of David Korten go to www.davidkorten.com.

Topics explored in this dialogue include:

Why concentrating wealth in the hands of a very few people is a threat to democracy

How the recent spiritual awakening may affect our economy

Why most of us pay a price when the stock market goes up

How business and spirituality are connected

What might have happened if two trillion dollars had gone to citizens instead of banks